Spring Beauties are a woodland ephemeral that blooms in the forests of the Mid-Atlantic region where I live. The blossoms dance atop slender stalks: tiny, pale pink flowers, each of its 5 petals painted with darker pin striations scarcely visible to the unassisted eye. I was inspired by these tiny flowers (one of my favorites since I was a girl) to design a small purse that would have their timelessness, femininity, and romance.

Because these knitted and then felted bags are quite small, the knitting goes quickly, making them the perfect choice for a gift-knitting project: the romance and delicacy of the flowers make Spring Beauties the obvious choice for a bridal purse, a place to keep and store treasures from that special day. For the traditional bride, imagine a classic, creamy clutch with same color flowers, all beaded with silver-lined white beads. Or, for the bride with a bolder, less conventional sensibility, imagine a white purse with boldly colored flowers, or make a purse as bold as a wedding bouquet of gerbera daisies: a pink purse with hot pink, orange, and bright yellow blossoms . . .

Click on the Additional Details tab for more information about dimensions, yarn amounts, materials, and purse hardware kits that include everything you need to complete this project.

Finished Dimensions

7" (17.5cm) wide across the front/back at bag bottom
5" (12.5cm) wide across the front/back at bag top
3" (7.5cm) deep
6" (15cm) tall

Difficulty Level

Intrepid Easy: Requires knowledge of knitting and purling, knitting in the round on double-pointed and circular needles, some hand-sewing.

Gauge

Pre-felted gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rounds = 4" (10cm) in St st with a double-strand of worsted weight yarn.

Materials

Spring Beauties Hardware Kit is Available and Includes:

5" (12.5cm) classic purse frame in shiny nickel (no longer available through Noni - sorry! We have everything else.)
12" (30cm) rectangular purse chain
6 Noni 16mm bag feet
6 x 9 in sheet of stiffener

Yarn Requirements

140 yds (128m)
2 yds (1.8m) green for long stem (1 flower) (A)
4 yds (9m) for flower petals (1 flower) (B)

Other Materials

Size 8 (5mm) 16" (40cm) circular needles for the bag
Size 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles (set) for flowers. Use smaller needles for smaller flowers.
Sharp sewing needle
Stitch markers
Paper hole punch
Locktite Superglue Extra Time Control clear-drying glue to glue bag into frame
A large-eye sharp darning needle and 26 gauge brass beading wire to wire flowers (optional)

Pictured Samples

All pictured samples were made in Stonehedge Fiber Mill's Shepherd's Wool. Lilac bag with Spring Green flowers, Light Turquoise bag and flowers with Lime stems, Spring Green bag with Lilac flowers.

Welcome Spring! is a delightful little purse that inspires joy. She is diminutive, perfect for secret treasures, an ideal hostess gift, and an even better Easter or Mother's Day present.

See the Additional Details tab below for information about Pattern Difficulty, Dimensions, Gauge, Materials Needed, and the Pictured Samples.

Pattern Difficulty 

Requires knowledge of casting on, knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, knitting in the round on double-pointed needles, 3-needle bind off, and some hand-sewing to complete the finishing process and to make the purse linings (if desired).

Finished Dimensions

3" (7.6cm) wide at hinge

3 - 3.5" (7.6 - 8.8cm) tall 

Pre-Felted Gauge 

20 sts and 28 rounds = 4" (10cm) in stockinette stitch using a single strand of yarn 

Materials

Yarn Requirements

Purse:

Welcome, Spring! is made with 20 yds (18.5m) each of worsted-weight, feltable wool in two colors. The pictured purse was

made with Stonehedge Fiber Mill’s Shepherd’s Wool (worsted weight; 100% merino wool; 250 yds [229m] 4 oz [110g] skein) in Denim (A) and

Sun Yellow (B).

Cherry Blossom Flowers:

Each flower is made with between 3 - 4 yds (2.75 - 3.75m) of worsted weight feltable yarn.

Other Materials

• US size 7 (4.5mm) set of 5 double-pointed needles

• 2 locking stitch markers in different colors to mark sided/round to clip to work

• Sewing needle for finishing work

• Blunt-tip tapestry needle for weaving in ends on the bag

• Sharp-tip, large eyed darning needle for weaving in endd on the flower.

• Locktite Super Glue “Extra Time Control” for gluing the purse into the purse frame

• 1 Noni On The Go! Hardware Kit (The kit includes: 1 Flirt purse frame, 1 package of seed beads and color-matched nylon beading thread, 1 handle loop and 1 split ring or spring gate ring - see the pictured samples and the Noni website for kit options and choices)

• 1/8 yd (.11m) lining fabric if desired (optional) If you are using scrap fabric, you will need 2 pieces that measure 5" wide and 4" tall.

Purse Descriiption

This is a gorgeous purse. I have held onto it this long because I really just absolutely love this bag. It deserves to live with a person who will take it out and enjoy it or give it as a precious gift. Adding some hand-beading to the flowers and purse would take this project just over the top to SO AMAZING. Then both of our hands will have touched this purse.

Perfect as a handbag, with the genuine bamboo handle draped over your arm or simply hold the handle in your hand. 

There are 4 small bag feet on the stiffened body that allow this bag to sit nicely on the table or the chair next to you.

The bag closes with a pink YKK zipper that has 2 sliders. The opening is rather small but you can put a cell phone and your hand through it at the same time. Huge wallets might be a struggle . . . just a caution.

Lined with a beautiful creamy silk brocade decorated with dragon flies.

Dimensions

20" circumference

7" tall not including the handle

6.6" wide (without the flowers - the flowers add about 2" onto the perceived width)